Bale tie



Dec. 11, 1956 Filed June 10, 1954 F. A. TEEPLE, JR 2,773,291

BALE TIE INVENTOR FRANK A.TE.EPLE JR.

BY Swim/us $5M:

ATTORNEYS Dec. 11, 1956 F. A. TEEPLE, JR

BALE TIE 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR FRANK A. TEEPLE JR Filed June 10, 1954 W & 5200mm: ATTORNEYS United States Patent i BALE TIE Frank A. Teeple, J15, Atlanta, Ga., assignor to Atlantic Steel Company, Atlanta, Ga., a corporation of Delaware Application June 10, 1954, Serial No. 435,797

2 Claims. (Cl. 24-26) This invention relates to bale ties and more particularly to bale ties of the permanent type, that is, to bale ties that may be used over and over again; and also more particularly relates to a fastening device for releasably fastening together the ends of a bale tie when applied to a bale of cotton, hemp, or other baleable material.

A principal object of this invention is to provide a strong, durable and inexpensive bale tie which may be used over and over again, which may be fastened about a bale easily and quickly and when so fastened holds strongly and will not become loosened inadvertently when the bale is handled or from strains applied thereto, and may be unfastened and the ends of the bands released quickly and easily without damaging or weakening the tie or impairing it for repeated use.

Another object of this invention is to provide an improved bale tie fastening device whereby the ends of a bale tie may be fastened together easily and conveniently and which holds the tie ends together strongly and positively without danger of loosening, and a fastening device which may be manipulated quickly and easily to unfasten the ends of the tie without damaging or weakening the tie or the fastening device and leaving the tie and the fastening device unimpaired for use again.

A further object of this invention is to provide a bale tie fastening device of the character stated, and which is simple, durable, compact, integral and inexpensive in construction and comprises no moving parts.

Other objects of this invention will be in part obvious and in part pointed out hereinafter.

In accordance with this invention the fastening device includes broadly a shaped elongated, one-piece rod-like member carried on one end of a bale tie and having a shouldered end adapted when directed in one direction to be inserted through a fastening hole in the other and overlapping end of the tie, and when the fastening device is turned to reverse the direction of the shouldered end, the ends of the bale tie are fastened together in a strong, sturdy and durable manner. The ends of the fastened bale tie may be released from each other by merely turning the fastening device to move the locking end of the device to face in the opposite and tie releasing direction.

The invention accordingly consists in the features of construction, combination of elements and arrangements of parts which will be more fully described hereinafter and the scope of the application of which will be set forth in the claims that follow.

In order that a clearer understanding of this invention may be had, attention is directed to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this application and illustrating certain possible embodiments of this invention, and in which:

Fig. 1 is a fragmentary top plan view of the opposite ends of a bale tie fastened together by a fastening device in accordance with this invention;

Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the same;

2,773,291 Patented Dec. 11, 1956 ice Fig. 3 is a longitudinal sectional view of the same but shows the fastening device pointed in the direction in which it is when a tie end is to be engaged with the fastening device and before thelends are fastened together and in which position the tie ends become released from each other; and

Fig. 4 is a transverse sectional view, and is taken on the line 4-4 of Fig. 2.

Similar reference characters refer to similar parts throughout the several views of the drawings.

Referring to the drawings the bale tie comprises a strip or band 10 of strong metal, such as band iron or steel, called a bale band. One end of this band is doubled back upon itself for a distance, as at 11, to reinforce this end of the band, and the two plies, thus established, may be spot welded together if desired. The other end of band 10 is spot welded to a metal reinforcing strip or plate 12 which extends some distance along this end of band 10, and is disposed either over or under band 10 as desired. A bale tie fastening hole, such as 13, is provided through the reinforcing plate 12 and that end of band 10, and a series of longitudinally spaced tie fastening holes 14 are provided through the reinforced other end of the band 10. In combination with band 10, reinforced at its ends as stated, there is a fastening device engaged in hole 13 at one end of band 10 and adapted to be engaged in one of the fastening holes 14 of the other end of band 10 to fasten the opposite ends of band 10 together.

The fastening device as shown, consists of an elongated, shaped, integral rod of strong material such as iron, steel, or the like, the rod having a straight central shank portion 15 from the front end of which a small shoulder or neck portion 16 extends laterally at substantially right angles to the shank 1S and from the outer end of neck 16 an end portion 17 extends forwardly at a slight upward slant and with the neck 16 forms a hook. Extending from the rear end of shank 15 is a portion 18 in the shape of an inverted U, with the plane of this U portion 18 in the substantially same plane as are the neck 16 and the portion 17. The rear leg 19 of the U portion 18 extends somewhat below the level of the shank 15 and constitutes an anchor adapted to be entered into the material of a bale which is tied by the bale tie to prevent inadvertent or accidental displacement of the rear end of the fastening device sidewise, and the turning of the device in the fastening holes at the band ends. To aid in placing the fastening device in engagement with one of the fastening holes 14 of the band end opposite the fastening device, a notch 20 may be made in the top of the end portion 17 to catch and hold this end of the tie band at one of its holes 14 temporarily while the fastening device is turned to complete the fastening of the two band ends together. However, the notch 20 may be omitted, in which case the fastening hole 14 of the opposite band end is held over the end 17 of the fastening device until the device has been rotated sufiiciently to hook into the fastening hole and grasp the band end.

The reinforcing plate 12 may be formed with a tab 21 at one side and which is bent downwardly, as at 22, across a side of the shank 15 and then bent across underneath the shank 15 and forms with band 10 and plate 12 a sidewise open channel in which a portion of shank 15 in the vicinity of its neck 16 seats and whereby the fastening device is retained on that end of band 10and against removal therefrom.

The manner of fastening a bale tie strip or band about a bale of material to be tied thereby is as follows: The tie band 10 is placed about the bale to be tied and the fastening device is turned to direct or point the for- 3 ward end 17 of the fastening device, and which protrudes through the fastening hole 13 at one end of band 10, toward the other and opposite end of band 10. This otherend-of the'bandvlil -is then threaded onto the end portion 17 of the fastening device untilan edge ofthe fastening'hole 14 th'ereinfand whichisreceiving the end -17, engages in the :notch '20: of the end-portion: 17. .Then,. usingthe end; portion 18. of the. fastening device as a handle, the fastening device is rotatedapproximately 180 in a sidewiseidirectiomand turns the end portion 17 to point or face in the opposite direction than before. When the end portion 17 is so turned'thestrip end which was engaged in the notch 20 iscaused to slide down over the rear of end 17 and over theishoulder 16, the tension of the band 19, pullingthe edge of the engaged fastening hole tightly against-one side of-shoulderl6and pulling the edge Of-theother end of band tightly against the other sideof shoulder 16. When the fastening deviceis .in this latterand fastening position the downwardly-projecting end of the U formation 18 may be pusheddown into'the material of the bale to anchor the device against sidewise movement, which would tend to loosen the fastening device from the tie ends. When the fastening 'deviceisrnoved into fastening position a portion. of shank in the vicinity of shoulder 16 turns in the-channel formed by tab 21. .As an additional safety measure, a small tabportion 23 may be bent up from tab 21 toextend part-way across'the right hand end of the channel formed by tah21 sothat it will be impossible tomove the fastening device to the extreme right hand side of the tie band.

To unfasten and release the tie band.10 from-the bale X it is only necessary to unanchortherearend of the fastener from the. material of thebaleand to. rotate the fastening device approximately. 180 to reverse the direc- 'easily. and holds positively and firmly in place and will not become loosened ordisplaced by shocks and strains encountered during the handling of the bale to which the I tie is'applied; and at the same time the bale-tie with the fastening device thereon is compact in size andrelatively inexpensive to manufacture,

As changes may be made in certain details of the construction without departing from the scope of this invention, it is understood that all matter contained in the above description or shown in the drawings be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

What is claimed is:

l. A fastening device'of'the' character described for bale bands having fastening'holes at their ends, comprising a one-piece rigid rod-like member having a neck,

a shankintegral at one endwith and extending sidewise from one end of said neck, and an'end portion extending at a slant from the opposite end'of said neck, said neckand slanting-end constituting ahook'adapted to hook together thev opposite ends of a bale band at their fastening holes, 'the'end'of'said shank opposite said neck being U-shaped and constituting a handle and having a sidewise projecting extremity adapted to be pressed into the material of a bale'and constituting an anchor for anchoring -'-the fastening device-to abale against turning thereon.

2. A bale. tie of thecharacter described, comprising a'bale band having a fastening hole adjacent each'end and a fastening device-includinga-rod-like handle portionand at one end of saidhandle-portion'an upwardly directed neck and a slanting end extending from said neck, said handle portion being below the tie ends with said neck extending rotatably upwardly through the fastening hole atone endof-said band, said slanting end protruding upwardly of the: tie ends and 'when pointing in one direction being engageable'in the fastening hole at'the other end of the bale band and whenrotated-topoint in the opposite direction drawing said otherend of the band downto-engage'saidneckat the fastening opening at said other band end and hooking the two ends of theband together, and a'reinforcing plate securedto said one end-of the bale-band, said plate having an angularwall extending downwardly at one side of said handle portion and across undersaid handle portion in the vicinity of said handle portion and forming with the banduend a channel retaining thefastening device on said band end.

References Cited in the file of this patent 'UNITED STATES PATENTS 156,965 -Allan et'al Nov. 17,1874

181,183 King ;.""Al'1g. 15,- 1876 194,939 Verree Sept-4, 1877 2,091,916

Evans Aug. 31, 1937 

